The DPP was supposed to proceed with its case today but asked again for the trial to be moved to a new date.

Badly beaten: Padarath. pic Bula Tribun

It had already moved the trial date from last year to this week - and had also last week tried to get it adjourned so it could salvage what it could, including looking at withdrawing the charges and calling Padarath as a state witness in other related matters.

It lost out on both with the charge against Padarath dismissed and withdrawn under the criminal procedure decree section 166.

Coupfourpointfive last year broke the story about Padarath being caught up in an alleged failed plot to overthrow Frank Bainimarama after papers were found at his Suva home.

Padarath was also caught up in a deal involving Suva lawyer Renee Lal and an African migrant, Paul Freeman and was accused of trying to get Freeman put on the Immigration Watch List after a fall out.

Coupfourpointfive revealed that both Padarath and Lal were beaten by regime soldiers and that Padarath was assaulted so badly, he was forced to use a wheelchair.

33 comments:

Anonymous
said...

"The dismissal of the case against Ben Padarath gives the lie to assertions that the independence of Fiji's judiciary has been compromised." That's the silver lining regime apologists will see, in what for them is otherwise a dark cloud. No, it just shows the limits of some judges' willingness to collude with the Attorney-General's attempts to suppress dissent. If Fiji's justice system were not compromised, it would now be prosecuting the goons who brutalized Padarath.

The DPP wanted Padarath to turn state witness against who -- his uncle Pita Driti, Tevita Mara, or Epeli Nailatikau?

I believe the bigger untold story here is how the Maras found themselves in a position where they needed to act quickly to unseat Bainimarama but, unprepared, were instead caught out by events.

Does this have anything to do with the two overseas experts who were recruited to work on the new constitution?

It goes to show that the judiciary in Fiji is indeed illegal. They know they don't have a case to answer, and that's one way of letting the abusers go free. It's just a smokescreen Aiyarse, we know that order to drop the charges came from you.

Ben Padarath may have been acquitted for lack of evidence but his case serves as a warning to those like he and Renee Lal not to try to extract money from people for access to the regime. The reason both of them got a hiding up at the camp was for offering introductions to the PM in exchange for cash. End of story. It was grubby, corrupt behaviour and they got what was coming to them. If the judiciary wasn't independent, they'd be behind bars. But that's what happens with the rule of law. Sometimes it sticks, sometimes it doesn't. Either way, they won't be doing it again.

Three issues here :1/ Fiji Judges have some credibility - it went against their bosses demands.2/ Congrats. to Rajen Chaudary for his fine work yet again - he is a only thorn in this corrupt system.3/ Idiots like Ben and Rajesh dont deserve anytime on this forum.

yes the illegal PM and his cronies can gets their hands on their own cash...why is it not okay for others?...anyone for 30 years of backpay??? As if that bunch have any authority to lecture anyone on corruption, nepotism and accountability.

Anon@8.36. You said lack of evidence. So why did you mention '...introductions in exchange for cash.'? The problem was, the police and army had no evidence to justify the beatings given to Ben. They were paranoid, acted foolishly under orders from an uneducated goon, and not an iota of evidence collected.

Another thing, why beat the shit out of a man they arrested? That's not how things are done, unless you're in Zimbabwe for instance. Stop supporting these illegal thugs and their illegal means of extracting information from suspects that clearly had not committed any crimes.

Though I don't like Ben Padarath as a person based on personal experiences and previous incidents, what was done to him by the Military is unforgiveable.

Frankly Ben is not the kind of person who should be hit but to be just pushed around. Unfortunately it is in situations like that that one finds the physically poofy weak in positions of power exert their acquired but limited authority with impunity...

Ben Padarath was a rare chance for these poofy Military goons to exert limited power on the down trodden, physically weak and helpless.

Bai rang Aiyarse for DPP to drop the case because if it goes to trial then Padarath would let the cat out of the bag and Bai's corrupt practices would be exposed. Conman Padarath would tell all including how much Bai was getting as cuts from investors being introduced to him by Padarath and Lal. Birds of a feather flock together...

Graham's wasting his energy on side issues. He should devote more time in zeroing in on the root of all the problem that we have found ourselves in today. And that is do some investigative work on the real reason why we had a coup in 2006. Nothing to do with Qoliqoli Bill, Qarase multi-party cabinet, corruption, 1997 constitution, Truth and Recon Bill, nothing whatsoever. The country has been brought to its knees and the ordinary people have suffered for something they do not deserve is because Bainimarama did not want to go to jail for murder of CRW. Let's continue to focus on that and get it sorted out. Then only can we find our way clear. All the fancy changes that these goons are proposing are just cover ups.

Yes, we now know that 2006 was mostly just a cover-up for 2000 and the betrayal of the CRW. All of the regime's high-sounding rhetoric since then has been nothing but a smokescreen. For the same reason, Bainimarama will never relinquish his power voluntarily.

Similarly, the whole Padarath case is about a lot more than using the Commodore's name in vain. It's about the draft document in Padarath's possession indicating that Nailatikau was perhaps preparing to issue an emergency decree deposing Bainimarama.

Unfortunately, Nailatikau wasn't prepared when the real opportunity to depose Bainimarama came in early December 2011. That opportunity had largely passed by the time Bainimarama's people found the document in Padarath's possession, for by that time Roko Ului had fled, Epeli Ganilau had been forced to resign, and Bainimarama was very much alert to the danger.

Dakuwaqa is right. There's a lot under the surface here, and the regime wants it to stay hidden..

Little Benny is a coward, remember when he drove drunk into a tree in Nasese near the seawall, a girl was killed and he ran and hid protected by his mother who was a government minister. Then used Bai's name to get money from a Nigerian. A complete a/hole of a jerk and the DPP is a joke.

Voceke and Aiyarse have a lot to lose if the trial proceeds, and we all know that. Dropping the charges is just a smokescreen to protect these goons, and others who have profited from illegal activities and corruption that is taking place.

Furthermore, it will go down badly for these goons while the constitution review process is taking place. Truth will come out and I don't have any remorse for Voceke and Aiyarse. They deserve what they'll get.

It doesn't matter if Ben is a crook or not, he shouldn't have been subjected to beatings by those thugs. If they have evidence then he should be dealt with in the court of law, not jungle law as was the case.

Beating him violated his basic human rights, and this illegal thugs knew that. That's why the biggest thug of all, Voceke and his boss Aiyarse, instructed the DPP to drop the case because they will be implicated should the trial proceed.

And Anon@2.03, be careful because Voceke might have pumped your mother.

Georgie boi is that like Qarese calling DPP to take care of abuse of travel benefit? That is small matter if you see the disappearance of 3 sisters.

You need to come out openly and tell the public why Dip Chand wanted to only talk to you before he would answer any question to police.

Why did the police allow you to meet with Dip Chand alone without their presence. You are not a lair I mean a lawyer. In what capacity did you go to see Dip Chand? Since this had nothing to do with politics. What connection did you have with these 3 girls? What was your role in their disappearance?

So much for a fair playing field and the 2006 clean up. Whatever his faults Ben should not have been beaten for the murky behind the scenes actionsof the government and DPP couldn't make the charges stick. Regular practice by govt and judiciary

Well all of you must have forgotten that Ben Padarath is the son of Lavinia Padarath who was very vocal about untrue accusations of SDL being corrupt..well Ben took advantage of the situation and was Bainisonas drinking mate early days of 2006 coup..remember the bottle of vodka they shared with pita Driti xmas and new years 2008..well thats how he conned alot of people ..getting cash out of them in the hope of getting an introduction to Voreqeq..finally it caught up with them and Bai..being a known criminal and mastermind of the coups of year 2000 and 2006 turned against his good friend Ben Padaya in order to clear his already dirty tarnished name..in fact..Bais name is so muddy dirty that no matter what and how he does it ..he will be in the books as one of the worlds most terrible dictators and criminal..

Ben is lucky...Renee Lal the Lawyer is now handicapped...Lets not talk about human rights guys..things happenned under Bai & his cronies's watch.....the only right you have is to attend to the call of nature..

Bainimarama as one of history's worst dictators and criminals? Not even close! He's only a petty tin-pot tyrant, a woman basher who doesn't understand brinksmanship and so will soon enough again find himself seeking refuge in soiled nappies.

Frank is Fiji version of James Ibori from Nigeria. James Ibori is getting prosecuted in London.

From the moment he was elected he set about enriching himself at the expense of some of the poorest people in the world. His greed increased exponentially during the course of his governorship, as did his arrogance."Under Nigerian law, Ibori was immune from prosecution during his two terms as governor, making him feel "untouchable", the court heard, and he used the opportunity to "systematically defraud" the public.

Congratulations to Ben & Rajen. You mark my words, these two will be a force to reckon with when we go to democratic elections in 2014. Like them or hate them Ben & Rajen are bound for parliament come 2014!!!

Bens a con artist, short simple and factual! There are members of his own family that don't trust him as the incident got another lawyer into trouble Aseri Vakaloloma. This bloke has got in and out of hot water for so long he still has not learnt his lesson.He may have got away with this one but boy you sure as hell going down the shitty path if continue-soon or later you going to trip over then you will soon find you fun days on conning people will be nice & over.

James Ibori ripped off $80 million dollar and is getting what he deserves......jail time. Typically he was a politician (founding member of the Nigerian Party) so was a power broker who could wheel and deal. Exactly waht we have in Fiji but to a smalle scale. Used his rich pickings to buy properties and typical trappings of wealth including a $20 million private jet that he he didn't quite get.